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UMass Lowell launches construction of $80M tech center

First new academic building in nearly four decades

By Christopher Scott, cscott@lowellsun.com

Updated:
06/09/2010 09:42:05 AM EDT

LOWELL -- Last July, UMass Lowell bought the former DoubleTree Hotel from the Procaccianti Group of Providence for $15 million and promptly changed the name to the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center.

Then in February of this year, UMass Lowell bought the former Tsongas Arena from the city for $1, and quickly changed its name to the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell.

The futuristic-looking building, to be constructed in the northeast corner of the VFW Highway/University Avenue intersection where the soon-to-be demolished Smith Residence Hall sits, is the first new academic building at UMass Lowell in nearly four decades.

"When I came here in 2007, I announced a new vision for the university and, despite economic challenges, we have been able to move forward with this plan," Chancellor Marty Meehan said during a ceremony at the site. "The center is an important step and later this year, we will also begin work on a new academic building on the South Campus."

The ceremony, complemented by a small contingent of UMass Lowell students playing brass instruments, featured a who's who of local and state politics, including Gov. Deval Patrick, UMass President Jack Wilson, U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas, state Sen. Steve Panagiotakos and Mayor James Milinazzo.

The first-floor lobby will serve as a museum dedicated to the development and growth of the plastics and polymer industry in Massachusetts, for which UMass Lowell is well known.

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Research will be conducted elsewhere in the building in such disciplines as nanotechnology, energy, health, environment, communications and security.

Ideally, research will lead to manufacturing, production and the launch of new companies and jobs, much like UMass Lowell research led to the formation of Konarka Technologies, a solar-technology company.

"The seeds of the next Industrial Revolution will be planted by the research conducted inside this building," Meehan said.

Funding for the building comes from several sources, including the state ($35 million); UMass Building Authority ($25 million); federal government ($5 million); and $15 million in private fundraising, of which $1 million has already been raised from Mark and Elisia Saab of Lowell and John Kennedy, of Naples, Fla. Both Mr. Saab and Kennedy are UMass Lowell graduates.

"Demonstrably, this is a partnership that is making this all possible," said Tsongas. "It is the lesson of Lowell."

Site preparation has already begun and construction will begin soon. Completion is expected in 2012.

Meehan singled out Panagiotakos and his Senate colleague from Methuen, Steve Baddour, for playing key roles in securing state funding for the project.

Panagiotakos said in a down economy, the project makes sense because it will ultimately create local jobs. "The road to this day has certainly been long, but perseverance won out and UMass Lowell will now have a state-of-the-art work center with emerging technology companies here in Massachusetts," he said. "It's a great economic development project."

Patrick agreed, noting it's time state government invests in projects outside of Boston.

"We need to invest in projects all over, and not sink money into one big hole close to Boston," said Patrick, in reference to the over-budget, often delayed Big Dig. "It's your turn, it's your time, UMass Lowell."

Patrick said the center combines every aspect of his four-pronged approach to state investment: it's education related; it's innovative; it's an investment an infrastructure; and "regional equity," or investment outside Greater Boston.

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